


The beggining...

by Kalhoon



Series: The last stand [1]
Category: The Long Dark (Video Game)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:22:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24125836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalhoon/pseuds/Kalhoon
Summary: Mackenzie was depressed. After his failed marriage there wasn’t really much left in his life. Cheap whiskey and his planes helped him forget about Astrid, but he could never escape those memories... or could he? One night Astrid came back, asking for his help. Mackenzie blew it, and now he's flying into the storm because... he has nothing left to live for.
Series: The last stand [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1740793
Kudos: 3





	The beggining...

Mackenzie was depressed. After his failed marriage there wasn’t really much left in his life. His charter plane business only got him so far, and when it was too cold and the sky was filled with too much snow to fly, then he sat by the fire, wondering why he was still alive. The wind whistled outside as he sipped on cheap whiskey, sucking it straight from the bottle like a cow taking milk from a teat; it kept him warm and distracted. Most nights were like this, just drinking till he passed out. If he didn’t drink he’d just cry. He cried all nights, but at least when he was drunk the crying didn’t bother him so much. 

A knock on the door pulled him from his stupor. “Are you in there?” It was Astrid. She needed something badly or else she wouldn’t have come to him. Her knocking made it seem urgent, but Mackenzie was so drunk it was hard for him to even get to the door.

“Yes?” He slurred as he turned the knob. A brisk wind shot in, bringing snow and a biting cold that made Mackenzie shake. “I need something” she said, quickly hopping in side, shivering slightly from the cold. Her hands were tucked under her armpits. Mackenzie couldn’t tear his eyes away from what little of her face wasn’t covered by her hat and scarf. She was beautiful. This was not what he needed right now. He drank to forget her, and now she was here, in front of him, and she needed his help. “Are you… are you drunk?” “No” he protested. She looked around the room, spotted the bottle at his desk. The smell on his breath confirmed her suspicions. “Oh my god, come on Mackenzie. I thought you stopped. Look, I’m sorry, this was a mistake, I shouldn’t have come here. I should have known. I’ll find someone else.” She made for the door. “Wait. Astrid. Please. I…” he trailed off. “Mackenzie, if you are too drunk to form a full sentence then how could you possible help me? I thought maybe things would change. Clearly I was wrong.” She slammed the door behind her. 

This was it. He had blown his last shot. Mackenzie didn’t know what to do. There had always been the thought that maybe she’d come back to him. That maybe deep down she really missed him. Now that dream was completely shattered. What more did he have to live for?

Nothing was the answer. Absolutely nothing.

He went back to his desk, grabbed the bottle. He didn’t know whether the bring it up to his lips or hurl it across the room. He did both; took a swig and smashed it against the wall. Glass tinkled to the ground, whiskey dribbled down the wallpaper. 

The wind howled. 

He had nothing left to live for.

Mackenzie was drunk enough now that he didn’t care how windy it was outside, or how much snow there was. He was done with it all and he didn’t want to live any more. He put on a coat, opened up the hanger doors, crawled into his cockpit and turned on his Cessna. As he taxied out into the cold he could see Astrid’s red tail lights in the distance, glowing in the snowfall, getting further and further away. Everything else was black. 

Astrid could see Mackenzie’s lights in her rear view mirror as he pulled out of the hangar. That man had lost his mind. There was a blizzard and he was going to get himself killed, or worse, hurt someone else. She didn’t want to, but it didn’t matter how drunk he was or how much she hated him, their failed marriage didn’t matter right now. She couldn’t let him get himself killed. She spun the car around and barreled down the icy dirt road, barely able to keep from going into a ditch. Mackenzie lined up with the runway and turned the throttle up. The soft glow of his control panels comforted him slightly as he accelerated. Astrid turned onto the tarmac just as he lifted off.


End file.
